Police escort for disoriented PLA

Saturday, July 5, 1997

By Stella Lee
Dozens of police officers had to provide an escort for a convoy of 50 PLA vehicles after the troops said they could not find their way around Hong Kong.

Police denied that the escort for the convoy, travelling from Kowloon Tong to Lok Ma Chau, was a special privilege for the mainland troops, but said it was simply intended to ensure they did not disrupt traffic.

Dozens of traffic officers were deployed from Kowloon West, New Territories South and North regions to lead the convoy on Thursday afternoon, while traffic was stopped to allow passage of the vehicles.

Chief Inspector Chris Lui Kin-man said the purpose was to avoid traffic chaos and ensure the newly arrived soldiers, most of whom had only been in Hong Kong for three days, did not lose their way.

The troops had requested the escort as they said they were unfamiliar with the route back to Shenzhen because they had so far only travelled south along the road.

The 50 vehicles were mostly empty lorries which were believed to have been used to carry the 4,000 troops when they entered the SAR early on Tuesday.